Coiled snake

A coiled snake or Midgard Serpent is any still-life that is a repeatedly siamised snake with another snake:

x = 19, y = 32, rule = B3/S23 2obo$ob2o5$2ob2obo$ob2ob2o5$2ob2ob2obo$ob2ob2ob2o5$2ob2ob2ob2obo$ob2o b2ob2ob2o5$2ob2ob2ob2ob2obo$ob2ob2ob2ob2ob2o5$2ob2ob2ob2ob2ob2obo$ob2o b2ob2ob2ob2ob2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] [[ ZOOM 8 ]]

The first six in the family of coiled snakes. The first two members are snake and snake siamese snake. (click above to open LifeViewer)

It can be proven that these, along with the block, are the only width-2 still-lifes in Life. A coiled snake of order n will have a population of 6+4n, a bounding box of (4+3n) × 2 and (for n ≥ 3) a best known glider cost of 6n+10. This family forms the thinnest induction coils for stabilising a line with length 5+3n or 3n, which is exploited in cauldron or pressure cooker.

Wickstretchers

On 23 February 2024, Keith Amling found a wickstretcher that extends a pair of coiled snakes.

x = 55, y = 52, rule = B3/S23 24b3ob3o$23bo2bobo2bo$22bo3bobo3bo$22bo9bo$24bo5bo$21bobo7bobo$20b2obo b2ob2obob2o$19bobobo2bobo2bobobo$18b2obo4bobo4bob2o$17bo3bob2obobob2ob o3bo$21bob3o3b3obo$17b2o3bo2b2ob2o2bo3b2o$21b2o9b2o$21bo11bo$20bobo9bo bo$19bo15bo$21bo11bo$18b2obo11bob2o$17bo3b2o9b2o3bo$18bo2bo11bo2bo$23b 2o5b2o$20b2ob2o5b2ob2o$20b4obo3bob4o$19b2o4bo3bo4b2o$23bo2bobo2bo$24bo bobobo$21b2obobobobob2o$21bo4bobo4bo$23bo7bo$20b2obob2ob2obob2o$23bo7b o$21bobobo3bobobo$8bo11bo6bo6bo11bo$7b3ob2o9b2ob2ob2ob2o9b2ob3o$6b2o3b ob2o10b2ob2o10b2obo3b2o$5b2o2bo4bo8bo2bobo2bo8bo4bo2b2o$6bo5bob2o23b2o bo5bo$5b2o7bob2o8bobo8b2obo7b2o$3b2obobo7bobo3b4o3b4o3bobo7bobob2o$4bo bob2o3b2obo2b2ob3obobob3ob2o2bob2o3b2obobo$b2obobo3bo5bobo3b2o2bobo2b 2o3bobo5bo3bobob2o$b2o3bo9bo3bo5bobo5bo3bo9bo3b2o$b3obo3b2o8bo5b2ob2o 5bo8b2o3bob3o$2o9bo9b2o9b2o9bo9b2o$9bo2bo5b2ob2o2b2ob2o2b2ob2o5bo2bo$ 10bo2bo3bo3bobo7bobo3bo3bo2bo$13bo2bo2bo4b2obob2o4bo2bo2bo$11bobobo2bo 8bo8bo2bobobo$10b2obobo9b2ob2o9bobob2o$9bo3bob2o9bobo9b2obo3bo$15b2o8b o3bo8b2o$9b2ob2o11b2ob2o11b2ob2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] [[ HEIGHT 750 WIDTH 750 THUMBSIZE 2 TRACK 0 -1/2 GPS 16 ]]

c/2 double coiled snake stretcher by Keith Amling with reductions by Hartmut Holzwart and Matthias Merzenich (click above to open LifeViewer)

Three days later, Keith Amling found a zebra stripes greystretcher using coiled snakes to stabilise the edges.

x = 137, y = 51, rule = B3/S23 7bo13bo93bo13bo$6b3o11b3o33b3o19b3o33b3o11b3o$4b2ob3o9b3ob2o3bo26bo3bo 17bo3bo26bo3b2ob3o9b3ob2o$5bo2bob2o5b2obo2bobob3o24bo4b2o15b2o4bo24b3o bobo2bob2o5b2obo2bo$2b2obo4bobo3bobo4bobo3b2o22b2ob2obobo13bobob2ob2o 22b2o3bobo4bobo3bobo4bob2o$2b2obobo2bob2ob2obo2bobo6b2o19b2obo4bob2o 11b2obo4bob2o19b2o6bobo2bob2ob2obo2bobob2o$2bo8bobobobo7b2o3bo20bo2bo 3bo4bo9bo4bo3bo2bo20bo3b2o7bobobobo8bo$b2o7b2obobob2o11b4o13b3obo33bob 3o13b4o11b2obobob2o7b2o$13bobo9b4obobob2o10bo2bobob2o7b2o9b2o7b2obobo 2bo10b2obobob4o9bobo$8b3obo3bob4ob2o3bobo4bo9bo3bobo33bobo3bo9bo4bobo 3b2ob4obo3bob3o$7b2o11b2o6bo4bo11bo9b3o21b3o9bo11bo4bo6b2o11b2o$7bo13b 2obo5b2obob2o10bo9bo21bo9bo10b2obob2o5bob2o13bo$6b2o13bo11bo8b3obo43bo b3o8bo11bo13b2o$21bo9bobobo5b2obobob3o6b2o19b2o6b3obobob2o5bobobo9bo$ 15b3o23bobobo2bob2o33b2obo2bobobo23b3o$10bo3bo3bo13bobo5b2o2b3o3bob2o 29b2obo3b3o2b2o5bobo13bo3bo3bo$9b3obo4b2o12bobo8bo6bo3bo27bo3bo6bo8bob o12b2o4bob3o$8b2o3bob2obob2o9b2ob2o4b2obob2o2bo5bo25bo5bo2b2obob2o4b2o b2o9b2obob2obo3b2o$7b2o2bobo4bobo21bobo6bobo2bo23bo2bobo6bobo21bobo4bo bo2b2o$8bo4bo3bo2bob2o5b2obo2bo6b3o4b2o5bo23bo5b2o4b3o6bo2bob2o5b2obo 2bo3bo4bo$7b2o11bob2o5b2obo21bo27bo21bob2o5b2obo11b2o$5b2obob2o9bobo5b ob2ob2o6bobo10bobo21bobo10bobo6b2ob2obo5bobo9b2obob2o$4bobobob2o8b2ob 2o3b2obo4bo4b2ob2o6b2obob2o19b2obob2o6b2ob2o4bo4bob2o3b2ob2o8b2obobobo $3b2obobo3bo7bo3bo8bo6bob4o6b2obobobo17bobobob2o6b4obo6bo8bo3bo7bo3bob ob2o$2bobobo12bobobobo2b3o4b2o2b2o11bo2bo3b2o15b2o3bo2bo11b2o2b2o4b3o 2bobobobo12bobobo$b2o3bob2ob2o25bo3bob2o5b2o2bobo3bo13bo3bobo2b2o5b2ob o3bo25b2ob2obo3b2o$o3bo14bobo7bob2o9b2obo12bo19bo12bob2o9b2obo7bobo14b o3bo$3bo2b2o3bo3b3obo10bob5ob2obob3o14b2o13b2o14b3obob2ob5obo10bob3o3b o3b2o2bo$2o10bob2obo4b2o3b2obobobo10b2o43b2o10bobobob2o3b2o4bob2obo10b 2o$11b2obo2bob2ob2o3b2obo4bo3bo57bo3bo4bob2o3b2ob2obo2bob2o$14bo2bo4bo 4bo2bo8bo57bo8bo2bo4bo4bo2bo$11bo9b2o3b2obo3b2o67b2o3bob2o3b2o9bo$13b 2o5bo2bob2o6b2o67b2o6b2obo2bo5b2o$25bobobo2bo2b2o6b3o5b3o5b3o5b3o5b3o 5b3o5b3o6b2o2bo2bobobo$19b2o4bo2b3o4bob2o3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3b o3bo3bo3bo3bo3b2obo4b3o2bo4b2o$21bo2b2obo2bob2o4bo2bo5bobo5bobo5bobo5b obo5bobo5bobo5bo2bo4b2obo2bob2o2bo$20bo4bobo2bo5bo2b3o5bobo5bobo5bobo 5bobo5bobo5bobo5b3o2bo5bo2bobo4bo$24bo2bobobob2o2bobobob3obobob3obobob 3obobob3obobob3obobob3obobob3obobobo2b2obobobo2bo$24b2obobobobobobobob obobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob 2o$25bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob obobobobobobobobobobobo$24bo2bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob obobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobo2bo$24b2obobobobobobobobobo bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob2o$ 25bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobo bobobobobobobobobobo$24bo2bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobo bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobo2bo$24b2obobobobobobobobobobob obobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob2o$25b obobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob obobobobobobobobo$24bo2bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob obobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobo2bo$24b2obobobobobobobobobobobobo bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob2o$27bobo bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobo bobobobobo$27bobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobobob obobobobobobobobobobobobobo$28bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3b o3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo3bo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] [[ HEIGHT 500 WIDTH 750 THUMBSIZE 2 ZOOM 4 TRACK 0 -1/2 GPS 16 ]]

Greystretcher using coiled snakes to stablise the edges by Keith Amling with reductions by Amling and Matthias Merzenich (click above to open LifeViewer)